A.J. McLean Says It’s Not Too Late For Ryan Gosling To Join The Backstreet Boys (Um, Yes It Is)

A few days ago, Ryan Gosling revealed that he knew A.J. McLean back in the day when he was doing The Mickey Mouse Club, but squandered his chance to be in The Backstreet Boys because he didn’t think it was going to go anywhere. “I try not to think about it,” he said, and it was funny, because given the choice between a Backstreet Boy’s career and Gosling’s, which one would you choose?

I am so sorry I didn’t call you back, dude…First of all, I don’t even have your number. When I see you at the gym, let’s finally exchange numbers, and if we ever want a sixth Backstreet Boy, I’m gonna call you…a lot of people don’t know that, he can sing his ass off.

How very magnanimous of him. I’m not sure if A.J. realizes this, but Ryan Gosling was joking about how he regrets not joining his group of singing castrati. I mean, let’s contrast and compare. A.J. McLean was a member of a boy band loved by prepubescent girls in the ’90s. Ryan Gosling is a critically acclaimed actor loved by all grown women right now, including Anna Kendrick, Eva Mendes and A.J. McLean’s wife. At 32, Gosling is just coming into his own. At 35, McLean looks exponentially goofy in a fedora, goatee, and all the other flair he is contractually obligated to keep wearing. The degree to which Backstreet is “back” notwithstanding, Ryan Gosling wins.

But don’t worry, A.J. That doesn’t mean you can’t still exchange numbers at the gym and go on a man-date with the Gos, even though he’s way more impressive than you. That’s just the kind of guy that Ryan Gosling is.